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iPhone 3G Reception Problems? You're Not Alone

I have the same problem with 3G coverage. I am suppose to be in a strong 3G coverage area at home. I only have 1 bar. Traveling around town (Sacramento area) my 3G coverage changes dramatically. From 1 bar to full bars? Not sure if its working properly or not??? Anyhow, this was posted on Engadget. After they exchanged their iPhone the problem went away? Could it be true? Is it the netork or our iPhones? Lets all hope nothing is wrong with our iPhones!!!!

iPhone 3G Reception Problems? You're Not Alone

One of the more disturbing things coming out of the iPhone 3G launch is reports of suspiciously poor 3G reception and speeds. Specifically, I've seen several people report one bar - specifically, one bar - of 3G reception in areas where other devices report strong reception. (More complaints at Engadget.)

This may be a problem with a batch of iPhones, or with something in AT&T's network, though I've also seen someone reporting the problem on O2 in the UK. The first review iPhone we got had this problem - it would mysteriously drop from four bars of 3G to one for no apparent reason, while our Motorola RAZR2 V9 reported better reception. Then it would shoot back up to four bars for no apparent reason a few minutes later. That unit would also occasionally throw up an "invalid SIM" error, requiring a reboot. That phone also had hideously slow 3G data speeds in the 50 kbps-150 kbps range, so the missing bars weren't just a display issue; there was something wrong with the way the phone was hitting the network.

We exchanged that iPhone for a different unit and no longer had the problem. We took the new iPhone and carried it around comparing it to a Motorola V9, and the two phones connected roughly the same number of calls on the 3G network. The new unit also had much higher data speeds in the same locations - still not great, in the 300-400 kbps range, but at least reflecting 3G.

Posted on Jul 13, 2008 10:02 AM

964 replies

Szajda

Level 1

0 points

Jul 26, 2008 4:41 AM in response to Cifer

Hi

It’s about the Swedish consumer law and that it says if the problem can’t be solve by repair or replacement then the customer has the right to get the money back!
And the service provider is Anonvo and they has Pm all Telia store on Wednesday that telia store shall not send iphnes with 3g problems, because the can’t fix the problem. Then it does not help too replace the iphone. then customer has the right to get the money back.

Jul 26, 2008 6:03 AM in response to Zlog

Zlog wrote:

It could even be the way the iPhone connects to the 3G network. Perhaps the phone software gets caught up when trying to stay connected to a low-signal and all **** breaks loose from there.

It could be something simple like the iPhone software recognizes an available signal so it doesn't switch to edge, but in actuality the connection strength is terminal and the phone doesn't switch and you get disconnected.

When switching from 3G network to edge (deliberately or not) in Paris (France) I can make phone calls but mostly can't access to the internet although the edge signal looks good and the edge logo is displayed on the screen.

I found a 100% solution in my case: making a single phone call to the iPhone (with my iPhone or not + no need to answer to the call) is opening the edge network a few seconds later.

I hope this can help...

Jul 26, 2008 6:38 AM in response to Bruno Lapeyre

+I found a 100% solution in my case: making a single phone call to the iPhone (with my iPhone or not + no need to answer to the call) is opening the edge network a few seconds later.+

I appreciate your input & thank you.... but with a properly functional phone this should not be necessary...

I hope they can fix this soon.

Jul 26, 2008 6:50 AM in response to Doug Clements

This is what you get for being first in the pond people ! This phone had no beta testing and was not even available for display until July 11. Your phone will be a work in progress for the next 4-6 months while they iron out all the bugs and release firmware upgrades to address these issues.

Jul 26, 2008 7:31 AM in response to earlyearlyearly

Same thing here in Denver/Boulder area. Total C-R-A-P 3G coverage. Four of our employees bought the phones and I bought two for our household. ALL have the same crappy, spotty, intermittent 3G service. And, we all waited a year to get these phones specifically for 3G. What a waste. One of our employees took hers back to Apple store a couple days ago and they simply replaced it (the kids working there are not very informed or knowledgeable (although, they are very self-righteously cool!). I haven't heard from her as to whether this helped or not. I tried doing a few calls on the 20 mile hwy between Boulder and Denver. 3G would drop the calls every half mile or so. Absolutely a useless device. I'm not happy. And, please, I really don't need one more moron telling me to turn off 3G!!! That is analogous to telling a Prius owner to "just turn off the electric part of the motor" (although, I must admit, I'd not be caught dead in such an ugly car).

Jul 26, 2008 7:34 AM in response to taltal

Hello,

What is the "placebo" effect?

Yes I will put numbers on shortly.

Doug

Jul 26, 2008 8:23 AM in response to Doug Clements

Same thing here in Raleigh, NC. I am not getting coverage for 3G in areas with supposedly strong coverage. I get no 3G in my house at all. Out at my parents house, which is supposedly in a strong Edge coverage area and a 3G coverage area I may get 1 bar of Edge and "No Service" on 3G.

I switched from Verizon (broke contract actually) for this phone and I am mighty PO'd. I am paying extra money for 3G coverage I can't get and have a phone that basically won't function in areas within AT&T's coverage area. This phone maybe be going back to the store. At least with my other company I could make calls! It's a shame because all of the other functionality of the phone is great, but isn't being able to make calls THE most important function of all?

taltal

Level 1

24 points

Jul 26, 2008 8:25 AM in response to Michael Lynch

perfectly understand your frustration. would it be possible to ask your colleague whether it helped to replace the iphone?

i tried to get mine replaced today but they said apple hasn't shipped any iphones since the launch. so i'm stuck with a broken phone and a two year contract.

Jul 26, 2008 8:55 AM in response to Michael Lynch

Michael Lynch wrote:
Same thing here in Denver/Boulder area. Total C-R-A-P 3G coverage. Four of our employees bought the phones and I bought two for our household. ALL have the same crappy, spotty, intermittent 3G service. And, we all waited a year to get these phones specifically for 3G. What a waste. One of our employees took hers back to Apple store a couple days ago and they simply replaced it (the kids working there are not very informed or knowledgeable (although, they are very self-righteously cool!). I haven't heard from her as to whether this helped or not. I tried doing a few calls on the 20 mile hwy between Boulder and Denver. 3G would drop the calls every half mile or so. Absolutely a useless device. I'm not happy. And, please, I really don't need one more moron telling me to turn off 3G!!! That is analogous to telling a Prius owner to "just turn off the electric part of the motor" (although, I must admit, I'd not be caught dead in such an ugly car).

Michael,
What an arrogant person you are. In your post you managed to trash your iPhone, AT@T coverage of 3G, Apple Store Employees, and so called "morons" on these boards, and the Prius. I didn't know that pompous arrogant people cared so much about a phone. Its very simple really. Return it if your iPhone if your not happy with it.

taltal

Level 1

24 points

Jul 26, 2008 9:17 AM in response to Doug Clements

hello doug,

the placebo effect: when you strongly believe something will help you, it will help you (even though the actual remedy has no effect).

I'm looking forward to your figures.

I did some testing today, outside, well covered area, and got up to -73 dBm with full bars. in buildings in immediately drops to minimum -91, but mostly -97 to -105, sometimes -113 dbm.

tidyamo

Level 1

0 points

Jul 26, 2008 9:27 AM in response to Doug Clements

In the UK the situation is very bad, me and many friends who have the new iphones all experiencing the same problem, 3G on= bad signal or no service - 3G off= better signal but not 100% or anything like the first gen iphone.

We await for the official Apple reply to all of us around the world with the same problem.

stteve

Level 1

19 points

Jul 26, 2008 9:28 AM in response to Doug Clements

I returned my iPhone 3G, but I really want to LOVE the iPhone 3G. So I stopped by the AT&T store on State Street located in Chicago's Loop (business district). It's the location across from The Chicago Theatre. I went into the store to view the iPhone 3G. As I started to handle the device, I noticed the phone had NO SERVICE. I switched it out of 3G and the phone got 1 or 2 bars in 2G. I looked around the store and noticed all phones (2G and 3G) had 5 bars of service. Returning to look at the iPhone 3G, I overheard a store employee on the phone.

"Sir, you should turn off 3G to make your reception better," said the AT&T employee.
(response from person on the other end of the phone)
"Oh you've tried that," replied the AT&T employee.
(response from person on the other end of the phone)
"You know phones don't always work inside buildings. That's why the iPhone has WiFi. Just turn that on and you can use your phone inside," quipped the employee.

Alright... so you can turn on WiFi and download email, music and surf the Internet. But you can't make a phone call in WiFi... that defeats the PHONE part of the iPhone.

I stopped another AT&T employee and asked if the iPhone 3G model was a demo because it was displaying NO SERVICE. "Yah, right, I noticed that also," she responded.

I said I'd heard the iPhone 3G had major reception problems. She had a shocked look on her face and replied, "Oh, well AT&T isn't currently selling the iPhone 3G we're just taking orders for the next shipment, you should talk to someone at the Apple store."

The Chicago Sun-Times just reported that local AT&T stores don't currently have stock of the iPhone 3G and local store reps couldn't explain why. Maybe AT&T knows there is a problem with the iPhone 3G and is waiting for Apple to correct the problem before they begin selling (and accepting returns).

Jul 26, 2008 10:01 AM in response to stteve

I'm up in DC. 3G is pretty bad. Battery life is pretty bad. Yellow color is pretty bad. GPS is pretty bad.

All in all, a letdown. The original iPhone delivered a lot more than I expected. Long battery life, nice edge speeds, good connection everywhere, software upgrades that kept it up to date.

The new iPhone is lacking on all fronts. It's not AT&T, it's either the firmware or the hardware. I'm sitting out my 2 week return window and see if there's an improvement; otherwise, back it goes.

I'm really disappointed because I was looking forward to it so much.

Jul 26, 2008 10:08 AM in response to stteve

Most of your post is incorrect. AT&T did tell their employees that all phones are now sold through direct fulfillment. AT&T also made an announcement that they don't have any to sell in their stores. Most, if not all of the iPhones on display in the AT&T and Apple stores have the old firmware ending in 45 and not the new firmware which fixes many of the issues discovered at launch. I got an 8 Gig last Saturday and the reception was about what my Version 1 phone did. I am now back home with my new 16 Gig after showing up at 5:30 this morning to exchange the 8. I have restored from my old backup and it is syncing my music now. I also have two more bars showing here in my living room. Call it Karma or what you will, I am going to call it Apple refining their process of antenna vs. battery life, and AT&T adding 3G as fast as they can. I'm sure they have throttled back their 3G network where it is in place based on the IMEI number range for iPhones. They only have a 1.544 MB pipe to each of their cell sites that aren't fed by fiber optics cable. If the iPhone 3G had as many problems as Vista still does after a year, then I can agree with most that the product is a dog. But it is only 2 weeks old and those that choose to live on the bleeding edge and buy the latest and greatest, should know that early adopters are always the lab rats for the R&D work after launch. Too many act like Apple held a gun to their head, making them buy one. If you use a brand new product, still rough around the edges as your sole tool to conduct your life or your business, then you live WAY further out on the edge then myself and anybody I know. Peace Out.

Michael

Jul 26, 2008 10:09 AM in response to Doug Clements

I had horrible reception problems and couldn't make calls many places. dropped calls constantly. i called att and apple about it and they couldnt help much, they said bring the phone in to a store. well the att store couldn't do much, and swapping or re seating the sim didn't help. i went to the apple store and they told me that its just att. they said ATT lies about their coverage and thats whats wrong. i didn't buy it(although i don't exactly have much faith in ATT's service, but it HAS to be better than what i was getting) they reluctantly gave me a new phone (after much annoying apple store smugness) i got my new phone. after 24 hours, the difference is night and day, i have had 2 or more bars of 3g service everywhere i've been, and i just drove across the state of CT. in my apt where i was lucky to have 1 bar before, i have 5.

just get your phone replaced. there must be a bad batch with antennae problems.

iPhone 3G Reception Problems? You're Not Alone